ᐅ Single-family home, 1.5-story, approximately 150 sqm floor plan designed as a do-it-yourself project
Created on: 31 Oct 2019 21:00
M
marti01Hello everyone,
we are planning to build on a plot next year and have been thinking about the floor plan / site layout and various other aspects for several weeks now. We already have two offers based on the floor plan for the house, but we are still unsure whether to build with these companies or go to an architect. Unfortunately, there was no detailed feedback on the floor plan—just an offer.
Therefore, we want to present the project here and gather opinions on whether this do-it-yourself floor plan is workable and practical.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1460m² (0.36 acres), 59m x 24.5m (194ft x 80ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.5
Building zone, setback line and boundary: approx. 17m (56ft) from the street front
Edge development: not desired
Number of parking spaces: 2 desired
Number of floors: max. 2 full stories, upper as attic floor
Roof style: gable roof
Building style: single-family house
Orientation: southwest-west to northeast-east
Maximum heights / limits:
Additional requirements: should align with adjacent buildings. Rear area currently leased (garden use / chickens / shed). Access to the rear area should remain possible.
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof form, building type: gable roof, standard single-family house, knee wall approx. 140cm (55in)
Basement, floors: 0, 1.5
Number of residents, ages: 2 adults (31 years), 2 children (2 years, twins)
Space requirement on ground floor, upper floor: approx. 150m² (1615 sq ft)
Office, family use or home office?: no dedicated office needed if there is space for a desk
Guest stays per year: very few, no guest room. Space for folding bed in living room
Open or closed architecture: mixed
Conservative or modern style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: kitchen and dining room combined, number of permanent seats: 6, expandable to 8/10
Fireplace: optional
Music / stereo wall: standard TV stand + stereo speakers
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport, tool shed (as basement replacement)
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: lawn + some vegetable garden
Additional wishes / special features / daily routines, also reasons for preferences
House Design
Planning by: do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Ground floor: kitchen with natural light from three sides.
Upper floor: large children’s rooms, space for desks
What do you dislike? Why?
Relatively narrow bathroom / utility room
Relatively narrow passage behind seating area in kitchen—will that work?
Chimney position is not optimal.
Price estimate according to architect / planner:
Personal budget limit for the house, including equipment: 260,000 (currency not specified) excluding furniture
Preferred heating system: heat pump (air-water or ground source)
If you had to forego something, which details / additions
-you can do without: chimney
-you cannot do without:
Why did the design turn out as it is now? For example:
We want two separate living areas, so no open kitchen-dining-living room. But we also want a large table for up to 8 people.
Since we currently have a large kitchen we like, this was carried over.
The children’s rooms should be appealingly large and get sunlight.
The roof should be extended at the house entrance (for weather protection, not shown in the floor plan).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is the staircase design feasible as shown without causing disruption? Are there bottlenecks or places for improvement?
Thank you very much in advance for your opinions!
we are planning to build on a plot next year and have been thinking about the floor plan / site layout and various other aspects for several weeks now. We already have two offers based on the floor plan for the house, but we are still unsure whether to build with these companies or go to an architect. Unfortunately, there was no detailed feedback on the floor plan—just an offer.
Therefore, we want to present the project here and gather opinions on whether this do-it-yourself floor plan is workable and practical.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1460m² (0.36 acres), 59m x 24.5m (194ft x 80ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.5
Building zone, setback line and boundary: approx. 17m (56ft) from the street front
Edge development: not desired
Number of parking spaces: 2 desired
Number of floors: max. 2 full stories, upper as attic floor
Roof style: gable roof
Building style: single-family house
Orientation: southwest-west to northeast-east
Maximum heights / limits:
Additional requirements: should align with adjacent buildings. Rear area currently leased (garden use / chickens / shed). Access to the rear area should remain possible.
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof form, building type: gable roof, standard single-family house, knee wall approx. 140cm (55in)
Basement, floors: 0, 1.5
Number of residents, ages: 2 adults (31 years), 2 children (2 years, twins)
Space requirement on ground floor, upper floor: approx. 150m² (1615 sq ft)
Office, family use or home office?: no dedicated office needed if there is space for a desk
Guest stays per year: very few, no guest room. Space for folding bed in living room
Open or closed architecture: mixed
Conservative or modern style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: kitchen and dining room combined, number of permanent seats: 6, expandable to 8/10
Fireplace: optional
Music / stereo wall: standard TV stand + stereo speakers
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport, tool shed (as basement replacement)
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: lawn + some vegetable garden
Additional wishes / special features / daily routines, also reasons for preferences
House Design
Planning by: do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Ground floor: kitchen with natural light from three sides.
Upper floor: large children’s rooms, space for desks
What do you dislike? Why?
Relatively narrow bathroom / utility room
Relatively narrow passage behind seating area in kitchen—will that work?
Chimney position is not optimal.
Price estimate according to architect / planner:
Personal budget limit for the house, including equipment: 260,000 (currency not specified) excluding furniture
Preferred heating system: heat pump (air-water or ground source)
If you had to forego something, which details / additions
-you can do without: chimney
-you cannot do without:
Why did the design turn out as it is now? For example:
We want two separate living areas, so no open kitchen-dining-living room. But we also want a large table for up to 8 people.
Since we currently have a large kitchen we like, this was carried over.
The children’s rooms should be appealingly large and get sunlight.
The roof should be extended at the house entrance (for weather protection, not shown in the floor plan).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is the staircase design feasible as shown without causing disruption? Are there bottlenecks or places for improvement?
Thank you very much in advance for your opinions!
I don’t want to clutter your thread. I can definitely imagine living in a house like that, except I wouldn’t be able to stand having the first step of the staircase right at the entrance. About 10 times a day, street shoes are worn there, and around 30 times a day, slippers. Currently, our apartment entrance is right next to the bathroom door. We end up tracking small stones and dirt all over the apartment throughout the day. The most noticeable problem is always the small stones from children’s shoes that get stuck under the door and scratch the floor. But that seems to be a matter of personal preference; many current floor plan designs include this setup.
My question: the sill height of 25cm (10 inches) for many floor-to-ceiling windows—is that meant to encourage sitting on it? We are currently considering having two floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedroom and children’s room, and the possibility of sitting on the window ledge has come up. But 25cm (10 inches) seems too low for that, right?
EDIT: I don’t think the 260k will hold up without additional construction costs, especially with a heat pump. And is the brick cladding going to be built in, or is it just decorative? For fun, we asked locally and were told that brick cladding for the house would cost around 30-50k.
My question: the sill height of 25cm (10 inches) for many floor-to-ceiling windows—is that meant to encourage sitting on it? We are currently considering having two floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedroom and children’s room, and the possibility of sitting on the window ledge has come up. But 25cm (10 inches) seems too low for that, right?
EDIT: I don’t think the 260k will hold up without additional construction costs, especially with a heat pump. And is the brick cladding going to be built in, or is it just decorative? For fun, we asked locally and were told that brick cladding for the house would cost around 30-50k.
I think it looks quite good. What I especially like is your modesty—not trying to squeeze in 10 extra rooms somewhere.
What I find less successful is that the kitchen-dining area feels very narrow and tunnel-like. The living room, on the other hand, has plenty of space. I would consider shifting things around to give the dining area more room. Right now, it’s also difficult to access the terrace.
Upstairs, I feel a lot of space is wasted and the layout doesn’t quite come together. Attached is an alternative for the upper floor (stairs without a landing):
What I find less successful is that the kitchen-dining area feels very narrow and tunnel-like. The living room, on the other hand, has plenty of space. I would consider shifting things around to give the dining area more room. Right now, it’s also difficult to access the terrace.
Upstairs, I feel a lot of space is wasted and the layout doesn’t quite come together. Attached is an alternative for the upper floor (stairs without a landing):
I have never understood the staircase at the entrance (for the reasons mentioned above), unless it is a genuine space-saving design or has to fit within 109sqm (1173 sq ft).
Basically, I find the nearly 40sqm (430 sq ft) hallway somewhat generously planned.
I don’t like the open-plan kitchen at all. It’s too narrow and too long. There is no room for a cabinet next to the table. In addition, the kitchen will be very dark. Light from the south and west windows won’t reach the work surfaces. The terrace door is blocked by furniture. If only one chair is occupied, people have to squeeze past.
The west-facing windows aren’t very useful in winter. Sure, the living room gets some brightness, but that’s not where you really need daylight.
I don’t find the bathroom too narrow. I’d rather have it this way than have an unpleasantly large, empty space.
The storage room, i.e. the utility room, at 9sqm (97 sq ft) is borderline too small for four people.
Where exactly is the tenant supposed to access their plot from?
Basically, I find the nearly 40sqm (430 sq ft) hallway somewhat generously planned.
I don’t like the open-plan kitchen at all. It’s too narrow and too long. There is no room for a cabinet next to the table. In addition, the kitchen will be very dark. Light from the south and west windows won’t reach the work surfaces. The terrace door is blocked by furniture. If only one chair is occupied, people have to squeeze past.
The west-facing windows aren’t very useful in winter. Sure, the living room gets some brightness, but that’s not where you really need daylight.
I don’t find the bathroom too narrow. I’d rather have it this way than have an unpleasantly large, empty space.
The storage room, i.e. the utility room, at 9sqm (97 sq ft) is borderline too small for four people.
Where exactly is the tenant supposed to access their plot from?
Hello rericht: We chose the BRH25 mainly because the lady of the house likes to place flower pots on the window sills. Also, I think it simplifies the floor construction (a straight finish). Regarding seating: 25cm (10 inches) is probably more of a children's bench, not very comfortable.
Regarding the clinker brickwork: One quote mentions about 16k for the bricklaying. We’re still undecided on this — nice, solid, and durable versus extra cost and a thicker wall build.
Regarding the staircase: Your point is valid and makes sense. At first glance, I couldn’t find an alternative to the current staircase. It would have to be rotated or in a U-shape. Maybe I’ll come up with something else.
Hello Katja: Thanks for the quick draft. The idea with the offset in the kitchen wall looks pretty good. We actually have some extra space in the living room, so we’ll give it a try.
Your upper floor draft with the separate office doesn’t quite match our expectations. Whether I have an office or a larger hallway with a desk and two cabinets, the space is the same. I’m hoping the sense of space will improve when you come upstairs and don’t just see doors.
Regarding the clinker brickwork: One quote mentions about 16k for the bricklaying. We’re still undecided on this — nice, solid, and durable versus extra cost and a thicker wall build.
Regarding the staircase: Your point is valid and makes sense. At first glance, I couldn’t find an alternative to the current staircase. It would have to be rotated or in a U-shape. Maybe I’ll come up with something else.
Hello Katja: Thanks for the quick draft. The idea with the offset in the kitchen wall looks pretty good. We actually have some extra space in the living room, so we’ll give it a try.
Your upper floor draft with the separate office doesn’t quite match our expectations. Whether I have an office or a larger hallway with a desk and two cabinets, the space is the same. I’m hoping the sense of space will improve when you come upstairs and don’t just see doors.
marti01 schrieb:
I’m hoping that the sense of space improves a bit when you go upstairs and don’t just see doors. In that case, you’re looking at a workspace for four people – PC, printer, filing folders, and paperwork. Lots of cables, and so on.
Keeping a desk and its surrounding area tidy rarely works for most people.
Where is the vacuum cleaner supposed to be stored?
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